[Tracer 1.4 released: December, 2004]

Tracer 1.4
Includes source code for Tracer and the converted to Delphi GCTP projection source code.
[1.4 released: September, 2004] New to Version 1.4 is XP versioning
New to Version 1.3 is the capability to load a .bmp file as a background image, thus tracing lines of the bmp to make a line drawing, or saving the bmp with the lines drawn on it. Procedures to Register the digitizer are reorganized into Bmp, Scaled, 4 Corners, and Map Projection with 4 points. Saving to a .shp file is now internal to the program, thus eliminating the need for importing Tracer files to convert into .shp files by other programs... The Shape DBase 3 .dbf files are written using tdbf V6.1.1 database component ..so hopefully Borland Database Engine (BDE) is not required, so not included with, this program. Lines and Polygons now have line and fill styles, though the styles are not saved in a dxf nor shp file (relate to layers or attributes). There is a Digitizer tablet menu on the right side 2", with command hints displayed in status bar. (see faq for link to .html or .wpd file digitizer overlay)

This is a digitizing program communicating with the digitizer through the serial port. It supports registration to a source, and digitizing, with data stored as files of registered corners, point, line, or area lists, file export to text-ascii, .bmp, .shp, or .dxf file types. The exported .bmp file is used for illustrations with the Ascii files to locate 'areas' on the .bmp file. The exported .dxf file is limited to line entities. Tracer digitizes base files with minor editing, Voice edits .shp files, and SOS MAP is the consolidated 3D vector editor procedural display.
If anyone communicates digitizer interface requirements other digitizers could be selectable, however the Summa1812 is a standard other digitizers can supposedly emulate.

• Tracer Frequently Asked Questions (faq), and To Do list
• Tracer is currently only known to work with a Summagraphics 18x12 digitizer...and a Kurta emulating a Summagraphics.

Tracer has a Main Menu to contol the operations of the digitizer. The menu is accessed by the Mouse and the digitizing tablet is accessed by the digitizer puck. The program is as automated as this: The first time the program is operated set the Serial Port Settings (should only have to be set once... unless the serial port connected to the digitizer is changed). When the program starts the first action is to select Initialize from the Digitizer Menu, then either Open a file, or Register the digitizer (map, photo, drawing...). After registration (or Reregistration for opened files) of the four (4) corners of the drawing to the digitizer tablet the menu becomes enabled. Select a Save As file type. Select the type object (Point, Line or Area) to digitize from the Draw menu. Select a color from the Digitizer | Colors menu and digitize away... Save the file when needed, when finished, and then Exit the program.

The size of the bmp used as a background for tracing is limited to the screen size. There is no panning around an image larger than the screen.

The decision of which registration action (None-Bmp, Scale or Unit -Dxf, Lat Lon -Shp) generally determines the resultant file type. No registration generally limits the file to being used with the BMP and an ascii list of coordinates. Unit-Dxf registration by Scale or Corners generates the digitizer to scale coordinates. Lat Lon-Shp digitization requires filling in the Shp Header form for the drawing file and the Attributes form for each object digitized then using the information for map transformations. Line objects can be 'collated' into areas and the new collated area can then be attributed.

File: New, Open, Reopen (0..4), Save, Save AsTracer List, DXF, SHP, BMP, Ascii Image, Ascii Digitizer , Setup Printer, Print, Exit
View: Zoom, Fit to Window, Pan, Resize (Submenu:) Resize 480, Resize 640, Resize 800, Resize 1024, Resize 1280, Status at Top, Status at Bottom, Show XY Coordinates, Show Converted Coordinates.
Digitizer: Initialize, Register, Increment 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 25, 35, 55, 95, A, B, C, Resolution 1, 2, 4, 100, 200, 400, 500, 1000, 10mm, 20mm, 40mm, Report Rate 2, 10, 50, 110, Serial Port Settings, Reset Default Settings
Draw: Points, Lines, Line Stream, Polygons, Polygon Stream; Invisidraw stream, Colors(Dxf (7) and 24 bit(12)), Point types (7), Line types(5), Poly fill types(8), Poly fill Colors(7), Redraw (Refresh)
Tools: Register, Objects, Attributes, Data List
Help: Contents, On Help, Me, About

Tablets: Altek, Kurta, GTCO, Calcomp, SummaGraphics, Numonics. any more ?

For those new to this... a digitizer is a magnet and causes monitor distortion if too close, and other things a magnet and rf emitters do...